The term black people is an everyday English-language phrase, often used in North America to refer to Americans and Canadians of Sub-Saharan African descent.[1][2] Outside North America, the term “black people”, or close translations of it, is also used in other socially based systems of racial classification, or of ethnicity for persons who are perceived to be dark-skinned relative to other “racial” groups – or else who are defined as belonging to a ‘black’ ethnicity.

Different societies, such as Britain, Brazil, the United States, Australia and South Africa apply differing criteria regarding who is classified as “black”, and these have also varied over time. Often social variables, such as class and socio-economic status, affect classification, so that relatively dark-skinned people can be classified as white if they fulfill other social criteria of “whiteness,” and relatively light-skinned people can be classified as black if they fulfill the social criteria for “blackness” in a particular setting.[3] As a result, in North America, for example, the term “black people” is not necessarily an indicator of skin color but of a socially based racial classification related to being African American, with a family history related to institutionalized slavery.[4][5] In other regions, such as Australia and Melanesia, the term ‘black’ has been applied to, and used by, populations with a very different history.

United States

In the first 200 years that black people were in the United States, they commonly referred to themselves as Africans. In Africa, people primarily identified themselves by ethnic group (closely allied to language) and not by skin color. Individuals identified as Ashanti, Igbo, Bakongo or Wolof. But when Africans were brought to the Americas, they were often combined with other groups from Africa, and individual ethnic affiliations were not generally acknowledged by English colonists. In areas of the Upper South, different ethnic groups were brought together. This is significant as Africans came from a vast geographic region: the West African coastline stretching from Senegal to Angola and in some cases from the south east coast such as Mozambique. A new identity and culture was born that incorporated elements of the various ethnic groups and of European cultural heritage, resulting in fusions such as the Black church and Black English. This new identity was based on African ancestry and slave status rather than membership in any one ethnic group.[6] By contrast, slave records from Louisiana show that the French and Spanish colonists recorded more complete identities of Africans, including ethnicities and given tribal names.[7]

The US racial or ethnic classification ‘black’ refers to people with all possible kinds of skin pigmentation, from the darkest through to the very lightest skin colors, including albinos, if they are believed by others to have African ancestry (in any discernible percentage), or to exhibit cultural traits associated with being “African American“. As a result, in the United States the term “black people” is not an indicator of skin color but of socially based racial classification.[8] Relatively dark-skinned people can be classified as white if they fulfill other social criteria of “whiteness,” and relatively light-skinned people can be classified as black if they fulfill the social criteria for “blackness” in a particular setting.[9]

By that time, the majority of black people in the United States were native-born, so the use of the term “African” became problematic. Though initially a source of pride, many blacks feared the use of African as an identity would be a hindrance to their fight for full citizenship in the US. They also felt that it would give ammunition to those who were advocating repatriating black people back to Africa. In 1835, black leaders called upon black Americans to remove the title of “African” from their institutions and replace it with “Negro” or “Colored American”. A few institutions chose to keep their historic names, such as the African Methodist Episcopal Church. African Americans popularly used the terms “Negro” or “colored” for themselves until the late 1960s.[10]

The term black was used throughout but not frequently, as it carried a certain stigma. In his 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech,[11]Martin Luther King, Jr. uses the terms negro fifteen times and black four times. Each time he uses black it is in parallel construction with white, for example, “black men and white men”.[12]

Michael Jordan, an African American considered by many to be the greatest basketball player in history.

In 1988, the civil rights leader Jesse Jackson urged Americans to use the term “African American” because it had a historical cultural base and was a construction similar to terms used by European descendants, such as German American, Italian American, etc. Since then, African American and black have had essentially coequal status. Controversy continues over which term is more appropriate. Maulana Karenga and Owen Alik Shahadah argue African-American is more appropriate because it accurately articulates geographical and historical origin.[6] Others have argued that “black” is a better term because “African” suggests foreignness, although black people have been in the US since the earliest colonial years.[13] Still others believe the term black is inaccurate, because African Americans have a variety of skin tones.[14][15] Surveys show that the majority of black Americans have no preference for “African American” or “Black,”[16] although they have a slight preference for “black” in personal settings and “African American” in more formal settings.[17]

Increases in the number of black immigrants to the United States from Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America since the late twentieth century have raised questions about who uses the term African-American. The more recent African immigrants may sometimes view themselves, and be viewed, as culturally distinct from native-born Americans who descend from African slaves.[18]

The U.S. census race definitions says a “black” is a person having origins in any of the black (sub-Saharan) racial groups of Africa. It includes people who indicate their race as “Black, African Am., or Negro,” or who provide written entries such as African-American, Afro-American, Kenyan, Nigerian, or Haitian. The Census Bureau notes that these classifications are socio-political constructs and should not be interpreted as scientific or anthropological.[19]

A black Gl and a Chinese soldier place the flag of their ally on the front of their jeep, truck convoy on the Stilwell Road, Burma, 1945

A considerable portion of the U.S. population identified as black also has European ancestry, in varying amounts; a lesser proportion have some Native American ancestry. For instance, genetic studies of African-American people show an ancestry that is on average 17–18% European.[20]

One-drop rule

Since the late nineteenth century, the South used a colloquial term, the one-drop rule, to classify as black a person of any known African ancestry. This practice of hypodescent was not put into law until the early twentieth century.[21] Legally the definition varied from state to state. Racial definition was more flexible in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries before the American Civil War. For instance, President Thomas Jefferson held persons who were legally white (less than 25% Black) according to Virginia law at the time, but, because they were born to slave mothers, they were born into slavery, according to the principle of partus sequitur ventrem, which Virginia adopted into law in 1662.

Outside of the US, some other countries have adopted the one-drop rule, but the definition of who is black and the extent to which the one-drop “rule” applies varies greatly from country to country.

The one-drop rule may have originated as a means of increasing the number of black slaves[22] and been maintained as an attempt to keep the white race pure.[23] One of the results of the one-drop rule was uniting the African-American community.[21] Some of the most prominent abolitionists and civil-rights activists of the nineteenth century were multiracial, such as Frederick Douglass, Robert Purvis, and James Mercer Langston. They advocated equality for all.

Blackness

The concept of blackness in the United States has been described as the degree to which one associates themselves with mainstream African-American culture and values. To a certain extent, this concept is not so much about race but more about culture and behavior. Blackness can be contrasted with “acting white“, where black Americans are said to behave with assumed characteristics of stereotypical white Americans, with regard to fashion, dialect, taste in music,[27] and possibly, from the perspective of a significant number of black youth, academic achievement.[28]

The notion of blackness can also be extended to non-black people. Toni Morrison once described Bill Clinton as the first black President of the United States,[29] because of his warm relations with African Americans, his poor upbringing and also because he is a jazz musician. Christopher Hitchens was offended by the notion of Clinton as the first black president, noting, “Mr Clinton, according to Toni Morrison, the Nobel Prize-winning novelist, is our first black President, the first to come from the broken home, the alcoholic mother, the under-the-bridge shadows of our ranking systems. Thus, we may have lost the mystical power to divine diabolism, but we can still divine blackness by the following symptoms: broken homes, alcoholic mothers, under-the-bridge habits and (presumable from the rest of [Arthur] Miller’s senescent musings) the tendency to sexual predation and to shameless perjury about same.”[30] Some black activists were also offended, claiming Clinton used his knowledge of black culture to exploit black people for political gain as no other president had before, while not serving black interests.[31] They note his lack of action during the Rwanda genocide[32] and his welfare reform, which Larry Roberts said had led to the worst child poverty since the 1960s.[33] Others noted that the number of black people in jail increased during his administration.[34]

In July 2012, Ancestry.com reported on historic and DNA research by its staff that discovered that Obama is likely a descendant through his mother of John Punch, considered by some historians to be the first African slave in the Virginia colony. An indentured servant, he was “bound for life” in 1640 after trying to escape. The story of him and his descendants is that of multi-racial America, as it appeared he and his sons married or had unions with white women, likely indentured servants and working class like them. Their multi-racial children were free, as they were born to free English women. Over time, Obama’s line of the Bunch family (as they became known) were property owners, and continued to “marry white”; they became part of white society, likely by the early to mid-eighteenth century.[37]

Brazil

The topic of race in Brazil is complex. A Brazilian child was never automatically identified with the racial type of one or both parents, nor were there only two categories to choose from. Between a pure black and a very light mulatto, more than a dozen racial categories were acknowledged, based on combinations of hair color, hair texture, eye color, and skin color. These types grade into each other like the colors of the spectrum, and no one category stands significantly isolated from the rest. That is, race has referred to appearance, not heredity.[39]

Afro-Brazilian Edison Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is regarded by many experts, players, and fans as the best player of all time.

Scholars disagree over the effects of social status on racial classifications in Brazil. It is generally believed that upward mobility and education results in reclassification of individuals into lighter-skinned categories. The popular claim is that in Brazil, poor whites are considered black and wealthy blacks are considered white. Some scholars disagree, arguing that whitening of one’s social status may be open to people of mixed race, but a typically black person will consistently be identified as black regardless of wealth or social status.[40][41]

From the year 1500 to 1850, an estimated 3.5 million Africans were forcibly shipped to Brazil.[40] It is estimated that more than half of the Brazilian population is at least in part descendants of these Africans. Brazil has the largest population of Afro-descendants outside of Africa. In contrast to the US, there were no segregation or anti-miscegenation laws in Brazil. Intermarriage has been popular for centuries. Much of the white/Asian population also has either African or Amerindian blood. According to the last census of the twentieth century, 54% identified themselves as white, 6.2% identified themselves as black, and 39.5% identified themselves as Pardo (brown) — a broad multi-racial category.[43]

A philosophy of whitening emerged in Brazil in the nineteenth century. Until recently the government did not keep data on race. However, statisticians estimate that in 1835 half the population was black, one fifth was Pardo (brown) and one fourth white. By 2000, the black population had fallen to 6.2%, the Pardo had increased to 40%, and white to 55%. Essentially most of the black population was absorbed into the multi-racial category by intermixing.[39] A 2007 study found that at least 29% of the middle-class, white Brazilian population had some recent (since the colonial period) African ancestry.[44]

Race relations in Brazil

Because of the ideology of miscegenation, Brazil has avoided the polarization of society into black and white. The bitter and sometimes violent racial tensions that divide the US are notably absent in Brazil. According to the 2010 census, 6.7% of Brazilians said they were black, compared with 6.2% in 2000, and 43.1% said they were mixed race, up from 38.5%. In 2010, Elio Ferreira de Araujo, Brazil’s minister for racial equality, attributed the change to growing pride among his country’s black and indigenous communities.[45]

The philosophy of the racial democracy in Brazil has drawn criticism from some quarters. Brazil has one of the largest gaps in income distribution in the world. The richest 10% of the population earn 28 times the average income of the bottom 40%. The richest 10 percent is almost exclusively white. One-third of the population lives under the poverty line, with blacks and other non-whites accounting for 70 percent of the poor.[46]

In the US, black people earn 75% of what white people earn.[47] In Brazil, non-whites earn less than 50% of what whites earn. Some have posited that Brazil practices the one-drop rule when analysts consider the facts of social and economic divisions. The gap in income between blacks and other non-whites is relatively small compared to the large gap between whites and non-whites. Other factors, such as illiteracy and education levels, show the same patterns.[48] Unlike in the US, where African Americans were united in the civil-rights struggle, in Brazil the philosophy of whitening has helped divide blacks from other non-whites and prevented a more active civil rights movement.[citation needed]

Though Brazilians of African heritage make up a large percentage[47] of the population there are very few black politicians. The city of Salvador, Bahia, for instance, is 80% Afro-Brazilian but has never had a black mayor. Critics indicate that US cities that have a black majority, such as Detroit and New Orleans, have never had white mayors since first electing black mayors in the 1970s.[45][49]

Black people in Brazil c. 1821

Non-white people also have limited media visibility. The Latin American media, in particular the Brazilian media, has been accused of hiding its Black, Indigenous, Multiracial and East Asian population. For example the telenovelas or soaps are said to be a hotbed of largely blond and light-eyedwhite (they resemble Scandinavians and other northern Europeans more than they look like white Brazilians of typical Southern European features) and light-skinned mulatto and mestizo (often deemed as white persons in Brazil if achieving the middle class or higher social status) actors. Most rare empowered persons of color represented in Latin American media possess typically Caucasian features due to a mix of racist standards of beauty, colourism and lookism. Nevertheless, in the last years, the number of empowered afrodescendants (either economically or by other ways) increased in Brazilian media coverage. Despite Brazil also possessing criminal black man stereotypes, it is considered a huge prejudice and mostly not used in a disordered way by the media, in spite of sometimes common “humouristic” sexist jokes and LGBT stereotyping[50] and as such lack of politically correctness in native race issues is not a major problem (there are way more stereotypes of Asian people, Europeans or U.S. Americans, for example).

These patterns of discrimination against non-whites have led some to advocate for the use of the Portuguese term ‘negro’ to encompass non-whites so as to renew a black consciousness and identity, in effect an African descent rule.[51] It generates criticism since Pardo, or Brown people, is intended to include caboclos (mestizos), assimilated Amerindians and tri-racials, not only afrodescendants — thus Brazilian of some or no recent African descent, as most White Brazilians, become 60–70% of the population, breaking the argument of possible Brazilian one-drop rule since real noticeable mulattoes, cafuzos (zambos) and black persons are a minority and the Brazilian poor represents larger percents in Brazil. As one would expect from an underdeveloped country, there are pockets of poverty in White-majority and Japanese Brazilian-majority areas, rarer in urban developments but common in rural areas. They are even more common among Mestizo-majority areas, and Amerindian communities.

Africa

Republic of South Africa

In South Africa during the apartheid era, beginning in the first half of the twentieth century, the population was classified into four main racial groups: Black, White, Asian (mostly Indian), and Coloured. The Coloured group included people of mixed Bantu, Khoisan, and European descent (with some Malay ancestry, especially in the Western Cape). The Coloured definition occupied an intermediary political position between the Black and White definitions in South Africa.

The apartheid bureaucracy devised complex (and often arbitrary) criteria in the Population Registration Act of 1945 to determine who belonged in which group. Minor officials administered tests to enforce the classifications. When it was unclear from a person’s physical appearance whether a person was to be considered Colored or Black, the “pencil test” was employed. This involved inserting a pencil in a person’s hair to determine if the hair was kinky enough for the pencil to get stuck. If so, the person was classified as Black.[52]

During the apartheid era, those classed as “Coloured” were oppressed and discriminated against. But, they had limited rights and overall had slightly better socioeconomic conditions than those classed as “Black”.

In the post-apartheid era, the Constitution of South Africa has declared the country to be a ‘Non-racial democracy”. However, the ANC government has introduced laws in support of their affirmative action policies that define “Black” people to include “Africans”, “Coloureds” and “Asians”. Their affirmative action policies have also favored “Africans” over “Coloureds”. Some South Africans categorized as “African Black” openly state that “Coloureds” did not suffer as much as they did during apartheid. The popular saying by “Coloured” South Africans to illustrate their dilemma is:

In 2008, the High Court in South Africa ruled that Chinese South Africans who were residents during the apartheid era (and their descendents) are to be reclassified as “Black people” solely for the purposes of accessing affirmative action benefits, because they were also “disadvantaged” by racial discrimination. Chinese people who arrived in the country after the end of apartheid do not qualify.[53]

Other than by appearance, “Coloureds” can usually be distinguished from “Blacks” by language. Most speak Afrikaans or English as a first language, as opposed to Bantu languages such as Zulu or Xhosa. They also tend to have more European-sounding names than Bantu names.[54]

In more recent times, about 1000 CE, interactions between black people and Arabs resulted in the incorporation of extensive Arabic vocabulary into Swahili, which became a useful lingua franca for merchants. Some of this linguistic exchange occurred as part of the slave trade; the history of Islam and slavery shows that the major juristic schools traditionally accepted the institution of slavery.[62] As a result, Arab influence spread along the Swahili Coast and to some extent into the interior of the Great Lakes region (see Swahili people). Timbuktu was a trading outpost that linked West Africa with Berber, Arab, and Jewish traders throughout the Arab world. As a result of these interactions, there was extensive female-mediated gene flow into the Middle East from Sub-Saharan Africa in certain populations.[63]

According to Dr. Carlos Moore, resident scholar at Brazil’s University of the State of Bahia, Afro-multiracials in the Arab world self-identify in ways that resemble Latin America. He claims that black-looking Arabs, much like black-looking Latin Americans, consider themselves white because they have some distant white ancestry.[64]

Sadat’s mother was a dark-skinned Sudanese woman and his father was a lighter-skinned Egyptian. In response to an advertisement for an acting position, he said, “I am not white but I am not exactly black either. My blackness is tending to reddish”.[66]

Fathia Nkrumah was another Egyptian with ties to Black Africa. She was the late wife of Ghanaian revolutionary Kwame Nkrumah, whose marriage was seen as helping plant the seeds of cooperation between Egypt and other African countries as they struggled for independence from European colonization. This helped advance the formation of the African Union.[67] Because of the patriarchal nature of Arab society, Arab men enslaved more black women than men, and used more black female slaves than males. The men interpreted the Qur’an to permit sexual relations between a male master and his female slave outside of marriage (see Ma malakat aymanukum and sex),[68][69] leading to many mixed-race children. When an enslaved woman became pregnant with her Arab master’s child, she became umm walad or “mother of a child”, a status that granted her privileged rights. As the child was given rights of inheritance, mixed-race children could share in any wealth of the father.[70] Because the society was patrilineal, the children took their fathers’ social status at birth and were born free. Some succeeded their fathers as rulers, as was the case with Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur, who ruled Morocco from 1578 to 1608. His mother was a Fulaniconcubine of his father. Such tolerance for black persons, even when technically “free,” was not so common in Morocco.[71] The term abd (Arabic: عبد‎,) (meaning “slave”), is still used as a common term for black people in parts of the Middle East. It is not necessarily considered derogatory.[72]

Eastern Europe

As African states became independent in the 1960s, the Soviet Union offered many of their citizens the chance to study in Russia. Over a period of 40 years, about 400,000 African students from various countries moved to Russia to pursue higher studies, including many Black Africans.[76][77] This extended beyond the Soviet Union to many countries of the Eastern bloc.

Being identified as either “black” or “white” in Australia during the 19th and early 20th centuries was critical in one’s employment and social prospects. Various state-based Aboriginal Protection Boards were established which had virtually complete control over the lives of Indigenous Australians – where they lived, their employment, marriage, education and included the power to separate children from their parents.[86][87][88] Aborigines were not allowed to vote and were often confined to reserves and forced into low paid or effectively slave labour.[89][90] The social position of mixed-race or “half-caste” individuals varied over time. A 1913 report by Sir Baldwin Spencer states that:

the half-castes belong neither to the aboriginal nor to the whites, yet, on the whole, they have more leaning towards the former; … One thing is certain and that is that the white population as a whole will never mix with half-castes… the best and kindest thing is to place them on reserves along with the natives, train them in the same schools and encourage them to marry amongst themselves.[91]

generally by the fifth and invariably by the sixth generation, all native characteristics of the Australian Aborigine are eradicated. The problem of our half-castes will quickly be eliminated by the complete disappearance of the black race, and the swift submergence of their progeny in the white.[93]

The official policy became one of biological and cultural assimilation: “Eliminate the full-blood and permit the white admixture to half-castes and eventually the race will become white”.[94] This lead to different treatment for “black” and “half-caste” individuals, with lighter skinned individuals targeted for removal from their families to be raised as “white” people, restricted from speaking their native language and practising traditional customs, a process now known as the Stolen Generation.[95]

The second half of the 20th century to the present has seen a gradual shift towards improved human rights for Aborginal people. Aborigines were given the right to vote in 1962, and in the 1967 referendum over 90% of the Australian population voted to end constitutional discrimination and to include Aborigines in the national census.[96] During this period many Aboriginal activists began to embrace the term “black” and use their ancestry as a source of pride. Activist Bob Maza said:

I only hope that when I die I can say I’m black and it’s beautiful to be black. It is this sense of pride which we are trying to give back to the aborigine [sic] today.[97]

In 1978 Aboriginal writer Kevin Gilbert received the National Book Council award for his book Living Black: Blacks Talk to Kevin Gilbert, a collection of Aboriginal people’s stories, and in 1998 was awarded (but refused to accept) the Human Rights Award for Literature for Inside Black Australia, a poetry anthology and exhibition of Aboriginal photography.[98] In contrast to previous definitions based solely on the degree of Aboriginal ancestry, in 1990 the Government changed the legal definition of Aboriginal to include any:

person of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent who identifies as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and is accepted as such by the community in which he [or she] lives[99]

This nation-wide acceptance and recognition of Aboriginal people lead to a significant increase in the number of people self-identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.[100][101] The reappropriation of the term “black” with a positive and more inclusive meaning has resulted in its widespread use in mainstream Australian culture, including public media outlets,[102] government agencies,[103] and private companies.[104] In 2012 a number of high-profile cases highlighted the legal and community attitude that identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander is not dependent on skin colour, with a well-known boxer Anthony Mundine being widely criticised for questioning the “blackness” of another boxer[105] and journalist Andrew Bolt being successfully sued for publishing discrimatory comments about Aboriginals with light skin.[106]

Asia

The Negritos were the earliest inhabitants of Southeast Asia. Negritos means “little black people”; it is what the Spanish called the short black people they saw in the Philippines.[107]

China

As of August 2008, The Migration Information Source article noted that “A Nigerian Embassy spokesman estimated that Nigerians possibly make up the largest group of Black Africans in China, with about 2,000 to 3,000 Nigerians in Guangdong in 2006. Most businessmen only stay temporarily.”[108][109]

India

In South India there are several communities of Black African descent, such as the Sheedis (Siddis); specifically, the Siddis of Karnataka, who descend from Black African slaves. In Pakistan, these descendants are known as the Makrani.

Middle East

Israel

About 150,000 black people live in Israel, amounting to just over 2% of the nation’s population. The vast majority of these, some 120,000, are Beta Israel,[111] most of whom came during the 1980s and 1990s from Ethiopia.[112] In addition, Israel is home to over 5,000 members of the African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem movement, who reside mainly in a distinct neighborhood in the Negev town of Dimona. Unknown numbers of black converts to Judaism reside in Israel, most of them converts from the UK, Canada, and the United States. Thousands of mixed-race individuals with non-black Jewish relatives also live in Israel.

The following information is NOT intended to endorse drugs or recommend therapy. While these reviews might be helpful, they are not a substitute for the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgement of healthcare practitioners in patient care.

Septra (sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim): This medication makes me extremely tired and causes headaches but it seems to be working where other antibiotic treatments have failed to cure my infection. If you are able to tolerate the side effects it’s has been a pretty good therapy for me.

January 12, 2013 4:52 PM

Review by Anonymous:

User Rating:

10

sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim: Worked just fine. Made me feel a little hungry, it was a little pricey but what can you do? Oh well at least my peeing doesn’t hurt any more.

October 15, 2012 9:36 AM

Review by Anonymous:

User Rating:

10

Bactrim DS (sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim): I asked my doctor for a different type of antibiotic to take for this urinary tract infection instead of Cipro. This is my second day taking Bactrim for my UTI and I can already see improvement! It feels like the infections almost gone. I do however get a little bit of an upset stomach so eat something substantial just before taking it and drink a few more bottles of water than normal and you will be golden!

September 29, 2012 10:07 AM

Review by calgenie (taken for less than 1 month):

User Rating:

5.0

Bactrim DS (sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim): Third day of medicine but still having symptoms. Those of you who report adverse reactions and then go on taking the medicine should know that is not a good idea. I am allergic to several antibiotics, and my doc says stop taking at the first sign of any reaction as it can be very serious.

August 2, 2012 9:36 PM

Review by Anonymous:

User Rating:

9.0

Septra DS (sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim): Septra DS worked wonderful this time I am only on day 2 with 5 more days to go. I have however taken this and Bactrim DS before. I am quite sensitive to antibiotics but tolerate these well. I usually ask for Bactrim DS due to tolerating it well so that is what MD prescribed. i also take metformin and lotensin and they seem to work fine with this med though i take them at least 3 hours from each other

July 11, 2012 5:21 AM

Review by Anonymous (taken for less than 1 month):

User Rating:

10

sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim: The medicine helped me greatly. It took a few days to kick in, though. I didn’t experience any nausea/vomiting that seems to be the most commonly-experienced side effects, but I did experience some constipation and headache. I also felt what I’d describe as being “out of it” and “spacey”. I said and did the most air-headed things. Make sure you take Acidophilus when taking this medicine.

June 11, 2012 4:31 PM

Review by Anonymous (taken for less than 1 month):

User Rating:

4.0

Bactrim DS (sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim): I have been on Bactrim DS for 7 days. After day 3 I began to notice severe headache about 4 hours after taking the Bactrim. Now on day 7, I have not only had headache, but light-headedness/nausea. With only 3 days left, I am going to continue the medicine. My urinary tract infection symptoms have improved finally after 5 days.

May 13, 2012 3:58 PM

Review by Anonymous (taken for less than 1 month):

User Rating:

10

Bactrim (sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim): It works awesome. If you have problems with this medicine it is probably due to being allergic to it, so stop taking it.

May 4, 2012 3:23 PM

Review by Guest1098:

User Rating:

5.0

Bactrim (sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim): I took Bactrim once for a Urinary Tract infection. I can’t remember exactly how many days I was instructed to take the pill, but I know it was over a week. Everything was fine up until the 9th day, then my entire body broke out in hives.

April 22, 2012 2:18 PM

Review by none01:

Bactrim DS (sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim): I also had similar experiences and side effects like lethargy, shaking, confusion slightly, severe fatigue, headaches, aches and pains, but kept taking the medicine anyway because the pain of a urinary tract infection is much much worse. I’d rather suffer for a short time with these symptoms then suffer with a bladder infection.

April 13, 2012 11:28 AM

Review by Anonymous:

User Rating:

5.0

SMZ-TMP DS (sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim): After being on this for 5 days, my urianry tract infection was *almost* gone. I had to ask for another prescription. During the time I was on it on I noticed shortness of breath, almost twice a day I tasted metal and noticed I had small nosebleeds. I also couldn’t really go out in the sunlight, as it hurt my eyes a lot and my skin felt like it was burning.

March 19, 2012 2:25 PM

Review by Anonymous:

User Rating:

5.0

Septra (sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim): I’m pretty sensitive to antibiotics and this one really makes me feel sick and tired and now I have an itchy rash. Have finished day 2 still 5 days of this to go.

March 18, 2012 2:42 AM

Review by Anonymous:

User Rating:

5.0

Bactrim DS (sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim): Used this medication for three days. It appeared to work well until my urinary tract infection returned a week after I finished the medication. My doctor then prescribed Cipro. My fingers are crossed, praying this cures it.

January 30, 2012 7:25 PM

Review by Anonymous:

User Rating:

4.0

Bactrim (sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim): I took Bactrim for 3 days for a urinary tract infections. I found relief only hours after taking the antibiotics but experienced severe nausea that continued to get worse no matter how much water I drank or how much I ate. Needless to say, I will be calling my family doctor to try something else.

Bactrim (sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim): I used this medication a few times to treat a urinary tract infections and two times I experienced severe allergic reactions where I had hives on my tongue, neck and face, and they left scars. Be careful.

December 16, 2011 3:04 PM

Review by Anonymous:

User Rating:

6.0

Septra DS (sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim): I have a severe allergic reaction. I had extreme rash, with blisters all over my body, including the inside of my mouth. This happened after taking it for three days. It wasn’t a positive experience.

December 11, 2011 4:39 PM

Review by Goosewoman:

User Rating:

1.0

Bactrim DS (sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim): I have bad side effects from all antibiotics, which is why I ended up with a long-standing urinary tract infection. I was given Bactrim DS by my doctor. I was really afraid to take this medications, so I cut a pill in half. I also took 1/4 of a Phenergan to help with possible nausea. I was fine all day. No side effects at all until about 4 hours in. Then I developed extreme body aches, especially stiff neck and a low grade fever (which lasted 3 days). I didn’t take another one, checked my urine with a dipstick and it was clear. Unfortunately the urinary tract infection came back the next day because I didn’t take enough. I tried 1/4 of a pill and had the same side effects 4 hours later. No more of those for me. Going back to the doctor for something else.

November 30, 2011 2:28 PM

Review by Anonymous:

User Rating:

9.0

Bactrim (sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim): I took it with almost no side effects. I did have a headache one day, but that could have been from anything. My only complaint was that the pills were huge and hard to swallow.

October 12, 2011 11:41 AM

Review by Anonymous:

User Rating:

3.0

Bactrim (sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim): Caused joint and tendon pains, made my hand go numb and ruined my tendon in my thumb so it doesn’t bend right now and sticks in place.

October 3, 2011 8:58 AM

Review by Anonymous:

User Rating:

7.0

Bactrim (sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim): I’m taking Bactrim twice a day for ten days. I was taking five day course of Cipro and had a migraine headache, which wouldn’t go away. Cipro didn’t even help me, I still had white blood cells and blood in my urine which makes for a bad urinary tract infection. The PA gave me Bactrim. I still have a slight headache but the UTI was so bad, I can deal with these side effects. The pressure in my bladder area has subsided and five more days to go. I can handle Bactrim.

September 14, 2011 7:41 PM

Review by suzgrrl:

User Rating:

8.0

Septra DS (sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim): I am always nervous about taking new medications, especially antibiotics because they usually give me many side effects. However, Septra DS was very well tolerated! I don’t do well with large pills, so I split them in two (since they’re scored for that purpose) and found them much easier to swallow. I took each half about 30 minutes apart and never had any side effects other than a funny taste in my mouth, which may have been from the pyridium (stuff that turns pee orange) for the pain, which I stopped after the first day.

September 13, 2011 10:17 PM

Review by Anonymous:

User Rating:

7.0

sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim: This antibiotic cleared up my urinary tract infecton within 24 hours. The morning after I took it I didn’t need to go to the bathroom frequently and had no pain. So that was great. However I am definitely NOT loving the horrible nausea I am experiencing from it, I just feel like I want to vomit. I have never taken an antibiotic in my life before this and I didn’t know it would cause side effects.

September 10, 2011 4:15 AM

Review by redpuff:

User Rating:

5.0

Bactrim DS (sulfamethoxazole / trimethoprim): Received a seven day prescription for Bactrim and on the 5th day lost appetite, had terrible body aches, and extreme fatigue. On the 6th day, had a fever, and chills too. Stopped the treatment on the 7th day. Then on the evening of the 8th day developed a rash all over my upper body and face. Pharmacist recommend Benadryl which helped somewhat. Having a urinalysis in a week and surely hope it worked and cleared up my urinary tract infection.

September 4, 2011 6:33 PM

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The Deluxe Edition of Inheritance has officially hit store shelves! Don’t miss out on the exciting new content, including deleted scenes, new scenes, new pieces of art, additional commentary from Christopher, and more. Order a copy today!

GIVEAWAY: WIN CP’s SIGNED BOOKS

NEW EXCLUSIVE BOOK 4 EXCERPT!

Our good friend from the Inheritance Cycle Book Club podcast and Lytherus managing editor Lauren Zurchin is doing something awesome: photographing fourteen of the world’s most famous fantasy authors in custom costumes she’s creating, and putting the photos together into a fantasy calendar for charity. And, you guessed it, one of the authors for the project is Christopher Paolini himself!

This project is ambitious, and since it won’t come cheap to travel the country to shoot these twelve photos (not to mention making custom costumes and props for each and every photo), Lauren has taken to Kickstarter to raise the funds to make her idea a reality. Every author involved in the project has limited edition exclusive items up for grabs, prizes that are only offered this one time and never again. You can score a limited edition print of Christopher’s photo from the calendar, signed by the author himself, signed wall posters, a limited “personalized pack” from Christopher, which includes an autographed calendar and photo print — personalized to you, and other goodies. There’s even a deluxe prize which includes a Skype chat with Christopher!

The other authors involved are Brandon Mull, Gregory Maguire, Brandon Sanderson, Tad Williams, Patrick Rothfuss, Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, Lauren Kate, Lauren Oliver, Maggie Stiefvater, Gail Carriger, Tessa Gratton, and Brenna Yovanoff. As you can see, it’s quite the lineup of authors, and ALL of them are offering prizes. You can even score a calendar autographed by all 14 authors!

Once the calendar is made, proceeds from the sale of the calendars are going to two different charities (which is why, if you’re wondering, you can’t buy just a plain calendar on the Kickstarter). Head on over to Lauren’s blog, where she explains it all in more detail.

So, help Lauren and these authors make this project a reality by supporting her Kickstarter — and snag some awesome personalized and autographed Paolini loot in the process.

Through January 30th, the official Shur’tugal store — which carries Shurtugal.com and Inheritance cycle merchandise — has free shipping on all orders! We’ve also just added three new shirt designs: Team Saphira, Team Thorn, and Team Firnen! To redeem your free shipping, be sure to use the coupon code FREELOVE at check-out! Remember, this coupon is only good through January 30th, so act fast!

Christopher Paolini will be the featured author on Lytherus, Shur’tugal’s sister site for everything fantasy, science fiction, and horror, for the next week! The author will be joining the staff of Lytherus for a full line-up of new content, including a brand new interview, an exclusive guest post written by Christopher, two sets of giveaways, and more!

Update: Christopher’s week on Lytherus has come to an end! Be sure to view all of the great featured week content by clicking on the links above. Entries for the final giveaway close on January 29th, so be sure to get your entries in! Be sure to check out Lytherus for more from Christopher, as well as all of the latest news, reviews, and commentary within the worlds of fantasy and scifi!

Shur’tugal has officially moved to a new server, leaving the old issues behind, and that “down time” allowed us to explore all of the feedback left by visitors on our previous post, Twitter page, and Facebook page! We asked our visitors what they would like to see from Shur’tugal going forward and compiled the feedback into two categories: what we can commit to, and what we’re interested in exploring!

What we can confirm we’ll be doing in the future:

Interviews! We’ve been sitting on a few for too long, and we’re going to be sharing them very soon.

Our first interview will come during Christopher Paolini’s upcoming “featured author” week on Lytherus! It’s a full length interview… and it will be accompanied by an exclusive guest post by Christopher himself!

Our second interview will come during Rachel Hartman’s (SERAPHINA) “featured author” week on Lytherus! Christopher and Rachel sat down for a joint interview with the Lytherus team.

More social media interaction! We have a fantastic community built on our official Facebook and Twitter accounts, and we want to better engage our followers. We’ll be hosting activities, media, and giveaways on both accounts going forward.

Inheritance (Book 4) podcast! Our fan-favorite book club podcast will return for a final run, this time featuring a special guest for every episode: Christopher Paolini!

Exploration of Book 5! Christopher has stated that he does intend to some day write a fifth book in the series (which will be a stand-alone book), but it may be a while before that arrives! We’ll explore all of the potential story lines, confirmed facts, and “rumors” surrounding this highly anticipated fifth book.

Giveaways! Who doesn’t like free things? We’ve got a bunch of signed copies of Inheritance and the Inheritance Deluxe Edition to give away!

Merchandise! We’ve already got a huge range of Inheritance clothing, which is the only Inheritance clothing you can buy on the internet! We’ll be adding more in the coming weeks.

Minecraft Alagaesia! A great team of individuals has pulled together to bring Alagaesia to life in the hugely-popular world-building game, Minecraft. With the support of Shur’tugal and Christopher, this team will continue to build away… and we’ll post lots of interesting photos, highlights, and more here on Shur’tugal!

What we are interested in doing, but can’t yet confirm:

Even more interviews! Christopher has always been a good sport about sitting down for interviews and we’d like to continue this by featuring an interview or Q&A with the author once every few months.

Fan art highlights! Many talented artists have illustrated the world we’ve come to love, and we’d love to share their work with you!

Content editorials! We’ll be opening editorials up to our visitors. If you’re interested in blogging or writing, we’d love to share a piece of your work exploring a theory or topic within the world of Alagaesia.

This is just the tip of the iceberg for what we hope to accomplish with Shur’tugal in the future. Inheritance as a series may be over, but Christopher’s career as a writer sure isn’t. We’ll follow the author as he expands into new projects in the future and hope that you’ll stick with us for the ride.

In the mean time, you can visit Lytherus.com — our sister site covering all things fantasy, scifi, and horror — for news and information on all of your favorite books, movies, video games, TV shows, and more!

It’s been quite a while since we had a day where issues did not hit the website — downtime, Google blocks, and more. These have been the result of the same persistent attack on Shur’tugal and its networks since early fall, and we’re happy to say that we’ve resolved the issue for good. We’ve moved the sites to a new home, where they’re more protected against outside attacks. This will enable us to resume doing our job: building and maintaining the best Inheritance cycle and Christopher Paolini-based community on the internet.

We have some great plans for the site’s future, but before anything is set in stone, we want to ask for your input. What would you like to see from Shur’tugal in the future? What kind of content — articles, interviews, fan art features, opinion editorials, etc.? Share your ideas in the comments and we’ll see what we can do about adding the best ideas to our line-up!

Today marks Christopher Paolini’s 29th birthday! The author, currently traveling through Italy following a brief promotional tour for the release of the Inheritance Deluxe Edition, has been hard at work on the Inheritance cycle since the age of fifteen — fourteen years ago! While Christopher’s time with the four books making up the Inheritance cycle may be over, the author has expressed that he is hard at work on new novels set outside of the world of Alagaësia… and has even laid the groundwork for future novels set within Alagaësia (some hints at which can be found throughout the four books).

You can follow Christopher, an active Twitter-er, and wish him a happy birthday at his official Twitter account: @InheritanceCP. On behalf of the Shur’tugal crew and all of our visitors, we wish Christopher the happiest of birthdays! (And enjoy this beautiful fan-created Eragon-inspired birthday cake!)

You asked and we (with the help of Christopher) have delivered: Christopher has generously provided us with a high quality photo of his end-of-Inheritance sketch, posted yesterday, which depicts the final scene in the Inheritance cycle.

Christopher also provided fans with another sketch from the first page of his journal depicting his interpretation of the end-screen from Marathon Infinity, the third game in the Marathon Trilogy, a series of scifi first person shooter video games:

Since you liked my sketch yesterday, here’s the one on the first page of my journal. Can you guess my inspiration? http://t.co/4LINJkoE

Christopher Paolini recently showcased his art skills in several drawings included in the Deluxe Edition of Inheritance, which released in North America at the end of October. The author, who is on currently traveling through Italy following a brief promotional tour to promote the Deluxe Edition, took to Twitter to share his latest sketch – a depiction of the final scene in the Inheritance cycle.

Christopher had this to say of his drawing: “Did a little sketch in my journal today. From Inheritance of course. […] I do drawings in my journal every now and then to mark major events. Been waiting to do one to mark the end of the series.”

And the ship sailed onward, gliding serenely down the moonlit river toward the dark lands beyond.

What do you think of Christopher’s portrayal of this iconic Inheritance scene?

Christopher Paolini will be hitting the internet to host a live Twitter chat with his fans tonight using the Twitter hashtag #rhkidschat! Christopher is currently on a short tour to promote the release of the Inheritance Deluxe Edition, which hit store shelves across North America on Tuesday! The chat will last approximately one hour, so make sure to “arrive” on time! (You’ll need a Twitter account to participate.)

When not participating in a live Twitter interview, Christopher can be found on his own official Twitter handle at @InheritanceCP!

The Inheritance Deluxe Edition went on sale in stores across North America today, marking almost one year since the release of Inheritance! Following in the footsteps of the three prior Deluxe Edition releases for Eragon, Eldest, and Brisingr, the Inheritance Deluxe Edition aims to provide a collectable version of Inheritance jam-packed with new art and content from Christopher himself.

The new set — which we will be running a review of shortly — features a letter from Christopher introducing the book and describing his work on the series over the past decade. The book also features an epilogue-like letter from Jeod, which catches readers up on some of their favorite characters as they live life in Alagaesia after the events of Inheritance. Additionally, Christopher made scene changes and additions throughout the book. You can also find two pieces of artwork drawn by Christopher himself alongside an exclusive fold-out poster of Shruikan painted by John Jude Palencar!

Important Notice: Hurricane SandyIt is with a heavy heart that we must announce that Blue Moon Herbals will not be taking orders at this time due to damage from Hurricane Sandy. We will strive to be up and running again as soon as possible, but for the near future, we will be unable to fulfill orders. Thank you for your understanding.

We hope our customers are safe and well.

Update January 14, 2013 – We anticipate our re-opening on March 1, 2013! Please check back for more details. Thank you to all our customers for your understanding during this time.

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We always put a little gift in your order so you have something new to try from our stock of oils, herbs & crystals.

Your treat…With our thanks!

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Awaken your senses with Blue Moon. For close to 2 decades Debbi has been creating a truly unique selection of products hand blended with intention in small batches. Crystal butters, flower essence & crystal baths, elixirs & oil-based potions…offering you the best in intentional herbalism & vibrational aromatherapy.

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Ukraine plans to reduce the level of pork imports in 2013 by 40%. And reduced the total comsumption of imported meat from 17% to 7%, Mykola Prysiazhniuk, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food announced at the press-conference.

The genealogy of sadomasochismDr Romana Byrne examines the cultural history of sadomasochism and how the Marquis de Sade, Krafft-Ebing and Freud earned us such infamy

Sex on Screen: The SessionsThe Sessions is an emotionally powerful film that conveys sexuality and the struggle for connection in heart-breaking and genuine, awkward and joyful ways, without resorting to titillation or sexist tropes

Kids are going to touch genitalAh, childhood. A time of youthful innocence, and the glory of first experiences. Your first day of school, your first BFFs, and your first schoolyard blow job [more]

Prostitution? Yes please!Prostitution is known as “the world’s oldest profession.” If it has been around for centuries, then why is it illegal? Shouldn’t everyone have a right to do what they please with their body?

My first time, Toronto girlI was sixteen, he was seventeen. During either our first or second date, he had performed oral sex for the first time, and I was a first-time recipient

9 February 2013

8 February 2013

7 February 2013

6 February 2013

Sex please, we’re CanadianA new nationwide sex survey by Playtex has revealed that 22% of Canadians have had a threesome, and 29% more would consider it [Report (PDF)]

10 steps to blowjob blissWhether you’ve performed oral sex on him once or dozens of times, you’ve never done it like this! It’s time to ramp up your original moves by trying any (or all) of the following twists

5 February 2013

Noisy sex could mean more funSome like to keep love making quiet but for those who like to scream the house down, new research says they could be having more fun.

What is “Porn for women”?It’s great that companies like New Sensations, and outlets like CNBC, are helping to legitimize women as viewers of pornography. But “Porn for women” is not for all women [more]

Living with shameDeborah Cohen’s new book, Family Secrets: Living with Shame from the Victorians to the Present Day, is a history of how the British have dealt with it since the days of empire

Penthouse treasure trove foundA New Jersey man has found nude photos of Madonna and Arnold Schwarzenegger, after purchasing a cache of memorabilia that once belonged to Penthouse publisher Bob Guccione.

Aging Japan’s love doll market increasesHideo Tsuchiy, the president of Orient Industries K.K. who manufacturers state-of-the-art love doll, thinks they will be bought by many seniors living by themselves

Why I don’t sleep with womenAs a sex-positive, progressive woman open to new experiences and seeking pleasure I feel like I should be down with exploring all the avenues.

Constitutional right to watch porn “evolved”While free speech fanatics argue that the Constitution guarantees people the right to watch porn, research by Prof. Leigh Ann Wheeler, and the author of “How Sex Became A Civil Liberty,” suggests that this attitude does not predate the 20th century, let alone the Constitution.

28 January 2013

27 January 2013

Naked Facebook pageWhen a mother from Wiltshire created a cheeky Facebook page asking people in the county to get naked in the snow, she didn’t expect such an overwhelming response [more]

Pornography is corrupting our youthAt the risk of once again invoking the wrath of the many porn-defenders who will no doubt email me to tell me I’m a prude, I’m going to do a bit of grot-bashing this week

The joy of submissionFifty Shades of Grey is fiction, but the kinky sex in its pages is very real. One ambitious, assertive woman describes how she became a submissive, and why it’s not as fringe as you might think.

Sexual trends for 2013Will sex toys become as commonplace as household appliances? Are couples realizing that good sex can be a marathon rather than a sprint

25 January 2013

24 January 2013

23 January 2013

How to think more about sexAlain de Botton’s new book, How to Think More About Sex, discusses the complexities of being human, and having a body, urges and desires that aren’t always helpful

MPs plan same-sex royal marriagesMPs look set to debate a change in the law to allow royals in same-sex relationships to marry or be in civil partnerships and for their children to be recognised as the heir to the throne

Brazilians hinder pubic liceA dramatic decline in cases of pubic lice has been linked to growing enthusiasm for the Brazilian bikini wax, and trimmed shrubbery in general.

The Sessions: let’s talk about sexYou could be forgiven for thinking a film about a severely disabled man who hires a sex surrogate in order to lose his virginity is not going to be a light-hearted affair

19 January 2013

TV’s most naked truthWhat does the Girls star’s casual nudity say about us — and the Howard Sterns made so uncomfortable by it?

Over-exposed eBay sellersAccidentally exposing yourself in pictures posted on eBay may sound like a tricky thing to do – but it appears to happen much more frequently than you would think

Brazil orders 50 Shades sealedA Brazilian judge has ordered bookstores to ensure that the erotic trilogy “Fifty Shades of Grey” is out of the reach of minors.

Fetish fotwear from Milanainsley-t shoes and Les Jeux Du Marquis of Italy have extended their collaboration with a new approach to erotic shoe design.

Coming out as non-vanillaExperience has shown me that there are several other aspects of our sexuality that most people keep to themselves

Top 20 things to do with a naked womanSo, she’s naked, standing in front of you. Do you you (a) try your same old, same old boring sex moves or do you b) try out our top 20 fresh new ideas to blow her mind!

7 January 2013

What is a psycholagnic orgasm?A psycholagnic orgasm relies on the brain’s ability to stimulate itself enough to create actual physical pleasure. There is no physical contact needed for this type of climax